The Promise Fulfilled, the Sequel to Victory At Jericho!

Joshua 6:22-27

22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.” 27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.

In these final verses we see some marvelous facts about God and His dealings with people. First, they demonstrate God’s faithfulness to His Word; they remind us that God, who is immutable and cannot lie, is also absolutely faithful (cf. Jam. 1:17). The promises to Rahab were kept—she and her family were delivered. While it is not stated, evidently that part of the wall on which Rahab’s house was built did not collapse.

Second, they demonstrate God’s grace and mercy. God’s love and plan of salvation is open to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord (John 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rom. 10:11-13).

Third, in keeping with His faithfulness to keep His promises, the prophecy against any who would seek to rebuild Jericho (vs. 26), also demonstrates God’s severity and the surety of His Word. The prophecy of verse 26 came to be fulfilled in the days of Ahab (see 1 Kings 16:34). Jericho was occupied sporadically after its destruction, but never to the previous degree.

Source:Bible.org

The Plan or Strategy for Victory At Jericho

1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.”

6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” 7 Then he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD.”

If Joshua had met with his military advisors, no one would have come up with this plan. The plan set forth by the Lord in chapter 6 certainly illustrates the principle of a number of passages from the Bible like Proverbs 14:12 and Isaiah 55:8f. God’s plan of salvation and deliverance is not a plan that man would design if he could or could if he would because of his basic alienation from God and proneness to depend on his own solutions. So today, men are prone to believe in a plan of salvation and sanctification that in some way or another introduces works into the equation rather than faith alone in Christ alone. Such a gospel is called by some easy believism when the truth is simple trust in Christ is not easy; it goes against the very grain of man’s makeup.

The directions given to Joshua by God for the conquest of Jericho obviously seem strange when compared to any human strategy men would devise, but only if we fail to think in biblical terms of the life of faith and man’s inherent inability to accomplish his own salvation or sanctification. Joshua 6, therefore, illustrates several vital concepts for walking by faith and dealing with the spiritual enemies we face in this life.

The Preparations of Jericho (vs. 1)

Verse 1 is a parenthesis designed to introduce us to the plan for the overthrow of Jericho, but in the process, it shows us how Jericho, having stopped its normal activities, was preparing for a siege by Israel, but undoubtedly fearful with melted hearts because of the mighty works of God. They knew about the Red Sea and they had surely heard about the miracle at Jordan.

The Promise From the Lord (vs. 2)

Before the Lord outlined His plan, He graciously assured Joshua of victory. Note the emphasis: “See, I have given.” Joshua was commanded to see, understand, and so reflect on the fact, as a matter of confidence, that Yahweh had already given them victory. Victory is always by the Lord’s hand, and since victory is by God’s power, we should expect it to be something that bypasses dependence on man and his own strength or abilities. So with the word “see” Joshua is called to see with eyes of faith and to envision Jericho as destroyed. Likewise over and over again in the New Testament, we are assured of our triumph over sin and Satan. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14). See also Romans 6:1-14; Colossians 2:6-15.

The words “have given” represent a prophetic perfect in the Hebrew text which describes a future event or action as having already been accomplished. Victory was assured by the promise of an omnipotent, faithful, and immutable God.

The Principles to Note (vss. 3f)

This battle plan is highly unusual to say the least. The ordinary methods and weapons of warfare like battering rams or scaling ladders or towers were not to be used at all. Rather, Joshua and his men were to employ God’s plan of victory as outlined in verses 3-7. Each day they were to march silently around the city with the priests carrying the trumpets of rams’ horns. The city covered only about 8.5 acres. On the seventh day they were to march seven times around the city and the priests were to blow their trumpets. Though this procedure would never be employed again with other cities, it would serve to teach Israel and God’s people of all ages that though we have human responsibilities in tearing down the strongholds raised up against the knowledge of God, victory is dependent on two things: God’s power and faith and faithfulness to His directions or plan.

The number seven figures prominently in this chapter. In fact it is used eleven times. Seven priests, with seven trumpets were to march around the city seven days with seven trips around the city on the seventh day.

Seven is a significant number in Scripture: (a) It signifies perfection or completion which reminds us that God’s plan, no matter how foolish it may seem to us, is always perfect and cannot be improved upon by man (first cf. 1 Cor. 1:18f and then Rom. 12:2; 11:33-36). (b) Further, the number seven shows that the conquest was part of a spiritual exercise or process designed to set the people apart (sanctify them) for the Lord as a holy people who belong to a holy God. (c) Because of the significance of the number seven to creation and the Sabbath and the fact they were entering into their inheritance, it undoubtedly signified the beginning of a new order and the land as a picture of the believer’s rest in the Lord (see Heb. 4).

We have in this a reminder of 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” We should note two things about Paul’s emphasis in these verses:

(1) The Nature of the believer’s weapons: As the walls of Jericho were brought down apart from human ability, so the spiritual weapons of our warfare are appropriated through prayer, faith, and various truths of the Word of God.

(2) The Design and Purpose of our weapons: Our weapons are designed to tear down strongholds. Strongholds are those things (human reasoning or ideas, values, and designs, etc.) raised up by a satanic world system and by fallen man that oppose the knowledge of God (biblical principles of grace, eternal values, etc.) and what knowing God intimately should mean in the lives of His people.

(3) The use of the blaring trumpets adds significant spiritual overtones. These trumpets could produce only a few notes. They were used mainly as an instrument of signal. They were used at the time of jubilee in connection with the religious feasts to proclaim the worship and presence of God and they were used in military contexts. Both concepts are applicable here. Here they signaled both God’s presence and announced Jericho’s impending doom. This was not just a military undertaking, the trumpets declared that the Lord of heaven and earth was present to tear down the walls of Jericho.

Application: We each have our Jericho or Ai that stands in the way of our ability to possess our possessions in Christ; virtual strongholds that impede our spiritual progress. It may be a weakness in our character, a physical infirmity, it may be indifference to spiritual things in general or to a specific area we are neglecting. It could be materialism or some life-dominating pattern. It may be a difficulty at one’s place of work, in the home, with a particular personality, or it may be a financial burden. Regardless of the nature of our Jericho, we must realize victory always comes through God’s plan of deliverance—never ours.

The Path or Sequence to Victory
(6:8-21)

8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.

15 Then it came about on the seventh day that they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 And it came about at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. 17 And the city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, lest you covet them and take some of the things under the ban, so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. 19 But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.” 20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. (NASB)

These verses give us the sequence of events from the first day’s march around the city to the last day and the collapse of the wall. The statement about the men being able to charge “straight ahead” calls our attention to the fact that they were able to charge in from all around the city. There were not just one or two breaches in the wall where soldiers were able to pour into the city. The whole wall around the city collapsed with the exception of the portion where Rahab’s house was located.

Some interpreters claim that an earthquake caused the destruction. If so, it was a remarkable miracle of timing and localization since the camp at Gilgal (a little more than a mile away) and Rahab’s house remained intact.³¹

The Prior Preparation

We should not forget that these instructions and the events of this chapter were preceded by a number of things God used to prepare the people to believe and obey Him. Israel had been prepared to trust the Lord by the events of the first chapters and their consecration to the Lord, especially in chapter 5. I am reminded of Luke 16:10, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Spiritual preparation is fundamental to our ability to appropriate God’s strength in exchange for our weakness.

The Priority of Silence

Can you imagine the difficulty of this? Several hundred thousand people marching around the city without a word, not even a whisper! There were the priests with their trumpets, those with the ark, the armed men and then the rest of the people. This may have included the women and children as well. If this was the case, the silence may be even a bigger miracle than the walls falling down!

The passage does not tell us why they were to be silent, but perhaps it illustrates and teaches the principle of being silent before God and just resting in Him. Does any passage come to mind? What about Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” Then there is Psalm 46:10-11 which reads: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us …” As this Psalm suggests, the silence teaches us the need to get quiet, to stop our running around that we may rest quietly in Him as we think on Him in the midst of our trials and conquests in life. Our tendency is to gripe and complain to others or seek our comfort from people more than we talk to God and seek our comfort from Him.

The Principle of Obedience Through Faith

Regardless how unusual the plan was or how hard it was to carry out, there was explicit obedience. We read in Hebrews 11:30, “by faith the walls of Jericho fell down …” In spite of the taunts that were perhaps hurled down at them from the walls as they marched silently around Jericho, they were willing to look foolish and simply rest in the Lord. He was their source of strength.

If we want to overcome our obstacles and testings, we must submit to God’s way by faith:

For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness (Gal. 5:5).

22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord. He has also rejected you from being king” (1 Sam. 15:22-23).

The Principle of Endurance

Joshua’s command in verse 10, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’” shows the people must have understood God’s plan would involve more than one day. Yet, a careful reading of the text also suggest Joshua did not unfold the entire plan at the first, but day by day gave them instructions. Each day they would go out and march silently around the city and then return with nothing happening. The walls were still standing and Jericho had not surrendered. Yet, they did not murmur or complain or question Joshua’s instructions. They simply obeyed day after day until the seventh day when they marched around the city seven times. At the command of Joshua on the seventh day they gave the great shout and the walls came tumbling down by the mighty hand of God. Is it not significant that Hebrews 11:30, which says, “by faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been circled seven days,” is followed in the next chapter, 12:1-2, with a charge to run the race set before us with endurance by looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith? This remind us that the Lord often works slowly. We want immediate deliverance, but the Lord often tests our faith and in the process builds our character and our relationship with Him so we find the Lord to be what we really need.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Too often we want immediate solutions and all our needs and wants met so we do not have to wait on the Lord and trust Him. We want to trust in our health, our bank accounts, our position in the community, our reputation, in our talent, education, and abilities. We don’t want to trust the Lord alone. For a good illustration of this compare Naaman’s response when he was told he would have to wash seven times in the Jordan river (2 Kings 5:11-14). Cleansing only came to Naaman when he humbled himself and washed seven times, not four or five or even six, but seven. See also Psalm 62:1-8 and the emphasis there of the need for us to wait patiently to find rest, not in our quick solutions, but in God alone. Surely, the Lord was teaching Israel the need to wait patiently to find their rest in Him.

Source.Bible.org

Destroying Fortresses; Victory at Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27)

Introduction

A plan for conquering the land of Canaan with its fortified cities and giants was, of course, crucial, but God never leaves His people to their own strategies. He comes to their aid with His own divinely-provided plan. Indeed, we are repeatedly warned in Scripture against leaning on our own understanding or plans (Prov. 3:5-6; Jer. 9:23-24; 17:5). Undoubtedly, the strategy for invading the land was based on the geographical lay of the land. Campbell writes:

The pattern of divine strategy for the conquest of Canaan was based on geographic factors. From their camp at Gilgal near the Jordan River the Israelites could see steep hills to the west. Jericho controlled the way of ascent into these mountains, and Ai, another fortress, stood at the head of the ascent. If the Israelites were to capture the hill country they must certainly take Jericho and Ai. This would put them on top of the hill country and in control of the central ridge, having driven a wedge between the northern and southern sections of Canaan. Israel could then engage the armies of the south in battle followed by the more remote enemy in the north. But first, Jericho must fall—and it would if Joshua and the people followed the Lord’s plan of action.²⁸

James Boice has this historical note:

At one time the brilliant British Field Marshal Edmund H. Allenby must have studied this book, too, for Joshua’s strategy was the one he adopted in his successful liberation of Palestine in World War I. Palestine is a hilly country, and the major passage through it is a connecting road that runs from south to north through the highest portions of the land. Joshua’s strategy (and Allenby’s) was to drive westward from the Jordan valley to that high road, thus dividing the country. Then, when the enemy forces were divided, they would first destroy the opposition to the south and then the opposition to the north. This is the outline of the campaign described in Joshua 6-11.

Before the country could be divided, a wedge had to be driven from the Jordan River valley to the mountains. The first obstacle was at this point: Jericho. Jericho was a military fortress built to defend the eastern approach to the high country. It could not be bypassed; to bypass Jericho would mean leaving a large military force at one’s rear.²⁹

In view of the lay of the land and the distribution of towns and fortresses, the strategic plan was to drive a wedge between the enemy’s lines of defense in order to conquer the land in three campaigns: one in the center of the land, one to the south and one to the north. They thus attacked the central portion first, which prepared the way for operations to the south and then to the north. The map below, taken from the Ryrie Study Bible, shows Israel’s movement into the central portion of Canaan.³⁰

^{Source: Bible.org}

Ajimobi denies governors’ emergency meeting over Buhari, urges prayer

A photograph of President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha in circulation yesterday.

Amid rife speculation over the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state yesterday refuted reports that governors were summoned for an emergency meeting in Abuja to discuss the issue.
“There is no iota of truth in the rumour making the round that governors were summoned to Abuja for an emergency meeting to discuss the health status of our dear President. We should desist from circulating callous insinuations aimed at denting the image of prominent citizens.
“Instead of peddling unfounded rumours, I will advise Nigerians to continue to pray for the President and other leaders, including governors, because their well-being is tied to the well-being of the people.

“The rigours of governance require that leaders take time off to relax and recoup for the daunting challenges ahead of them. We should be fair to our leaders, because they are also human beings with feelings,” he stated. The governor, who spoke yesterday in Ibadan, clarified that his trip to Abuja was for a scheduled meeting with World Bank officials. He went on: “It is pertinent to state here that the President only went for a break and to use the opportunity to undergo routine medical check-up. To the best of my knowledge, he was not even admitted into any hospital for any ailment.
“There is nothing wrong with the President taking some time off to rest and meet with some people abroad unofficially. I am reaffirming the fact that our President is hale and hearty.”
Recalling the negative online comments that had trailed his recent interaction with the protesting students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAIUTECH), Ogbomoso, Ajimobi said it was high time the medium was regulated to check abuses.
Acknowledging the importance of the new media for social mobilisation and creation of awareness on developmental issues, policies and other positive intents, he admitted that the medium was also being abused by some individuals.

Source: The Guardian(Nigeria)

Australian Open 2017: Serena Williams beats Venus Williams to set Grand Slam record

Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams is alone at the top when it comes to Grand Slam achievement in the Open era.
By defeating her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open final Saturday, Serena won her 23rd major title, breaking the record she had shared with Steffi Graf.
 Serena has experienced some high-anxiety moments in major matches, and she did again Saturday. In the early going, she smashed her racket in frustration after falling down on the baseline, and she served three tentative double-faults in a span of four points.
However, she soon settled -- and made history. Serena closed the match on her first championship point, charging the net with a forehand that Venus could not successfully return.
"My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it's stuff that legends are made of," Serena said. "I couldn't have written a better story."
 As difficult as it must have been to play against her sister, the enormous reward will likely help compensate for any mental anguish.
It's Serena's seventh Australian Open title and second in the past three tournaments in Melbourne. She also has seven titles at Wimbledon, six at the US Open and three at the French Open.
She remains one Grand Slam championship behind the all-time leader, Margaret Court, who has 24 titles in the Open and amateur eras. Court, an Australian who won 13 majors before the dawn of the Open era in 1968, was among those applauding the Williams sisters at Rod Laver Arena.
Saturday's victory also means Serena will regain the world No. 1 ranking from Angelique Kerber, who was eliminated in the fourth round in Melbourne. Next week will be Serena's 310th at the top of tennis.
Venus, a seven-time Slam champion, (two US Open and five Wimbledon) was in the final of the Australian Open for the first time since 2003.
In an on-set interview with ESPN, Serena received a letter of congratulations and a pair of shoes from NBA Hall of Famer and legendary No. 23 Michael Jordan. One shoe was red and black -- the Chicago Bulls' colors -- and the other was a more Serena-esque pink.
"Thank you, Michael. I can't believe I'm saying thank you Michael Jordan," Serena said. "He's the greatest."
Tennis icon Billie Jean King also sent a pair of tweets Saturday morning to honor the Williams sisters.

Source: espn.com

Presidency denies Buhari death rumour

Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari is well and alive, the presidency said late on Saturday after a news website published a story that the Nigerian leader has passed away in London.
Metro-uk.com, which can be confused for the more recognised metro.co.uk, ascribed the source of its story to unnamed officials of the Nigerian High Commission in London and a presidential aide who claimed Buhari died of an “unknown disease”.
But the presidency insisted all is well with the 74-year old Nigerian leader.
“Best wishes to all who wish PMB well. As for those who carry evil rumours, may they receive grace to repent,” tweeted Femi Adesina, Buhari’s media adviser.
“He is alive and well! President Buhari is not magical. He cannot be holidaying in the UK and be in Germany, dead or alive at the same time,” said another presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

Source:The Guardian(Nigeria)

The Prophet Isaiah

The Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah's Message
As has been mentioned, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, was a member of the royal family. He made his first public appearance as the Divinely inspired prophet in the year of Uzziah's affliction with leprosy, and he ministered to the people for about ninety years, during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Isaiah had seen the growth of a new empire, Assyria, and the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Judea alone remained, and it was the last bulwark of the true faith in One God. Isaiah brought to king and people the message of the holiness of God, the LORD of hosts, at a time when idolatry seemed to be taking hold in the land of Judah. He preached justice and charity at a time when the morals of the people had reached a new low. Of his Divine call Isaiah tells as follows;
"In the year of King Uzziah's death (meaning, when he was stricken with leprosy and was isolated), I saw the LORD sitting upon a high and exalted throne, and his train filled the Temple. Seraphim were standing around him. Each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two did he fly. And one called unto the other, and said: 'Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the posts of the threshold shook at the voices of those that called aloud, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: 'Woe is me, for I am lost, because a man of unclean lips am I, and in the midst of people of unclean lips do I dwell; for the King, the LORD of Hosts, have mine eyes seen.' Then flew one of the Seraphim to me, and in his hand was a live coal he had taken from the altar with the tongs. And he laid it upon my mouth and said; 'LORD, this has touched thy lips, and thy iniquity is departed and thy sin is forgiven!'
"And I heard the voice of God, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said: 'Here am I; send me.' And He replied: 'God, say unto this people; Ye hear indeed, but understand not; ye see indeed, but know not. Made obstinate is the heart of this people; their ears are heavy and their eyes shut; or else their eyes would see, their ears hear, and their hearts be understanding, in order that they repent and be healed.' And I said: 'How long, oh LORD?' And He replied: 'Until cities be left waste without inhabitants, and houses without men, and the land be made desolate as a wilderness. Till God will have removed the men far away, and there will be great desolation in the midst of the land. And should a tenth part thereof remain, it will again be swept away. Yet like the terebinth and oak, which when felled, retain their roots and stem, so remains the stem of their holy seed.'"
Isaiah's mission was not only to admonish the people to keep them on the right path. He also instilled fervent faith in God in the hearts of his flock, and he brought them courage and fortitude at a time when they were suffering mortal fear from the threat of the new Assyrian Empire. Isaiah also described in glowing terms the future glory of Zion, which inspires our people to the present day.

Source: chadad.org

What American President Donald Trump said at inauguration (FULL SPEECH)

Donald Trump

Donald Trump
Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you.
We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people.
Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.
Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.
Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.
For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.
January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.
The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.
At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.
But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.
This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
We are one nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.
For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. We’ve defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own.
And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.
One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.
 But that is the past. And now, we are looking only to the future.
We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.
Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down.
America will start winning again, winning like never before.
We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.
We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.
We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American.
We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow.
We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.
At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.
The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.
Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it.
The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.
Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.
We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.
It’s time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.
We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag.
And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.
So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again.
Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.
Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

Source: Premium Times

Donald Trump Is Sworn In as the 45th President of the United States

Donald Trump

Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the 45th President of the United States on Friday, in an official swearing-in ceremony on the Capitol steps.

Trump’s family, as well as Vice President Mike Pence and his family, looked on as Trump swore the oath of office, continuing a tradition that dates back to former President George Washington’s inauguration in 1789.

After taking the oath, Trump hugged and kissed his family members and shook hands with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden. He and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, turned and waved to the crowd and Trump pumped his fist in the air.

At the moment Trump was sworn in, protestors at one of the checkpoints on the Mall let loose with boos, others screamed, the clouds opened and rain sent ceremony attendees grabbing for their plastic ponchos.

Other attendees roared, “TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP.”

Also in attendance were former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, and former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump chose two Bibles for his swearing-in ceremony: one his mother gave him in 1955 when he graduated from Presbyterian Sunday school, and the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration, according to The Washington Post.

Tom Barrack, Trump’s longtime friend and the chair of his presidential inaugural committee, explained the selections in a statement, saying, “In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the ‘better angels of our nature.’ As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country.”

The last and only other president since Lincoln to use the Lincoln Bible was President Barack Obama in both his 2009 and 2013 inaugurations, according to the Post.

Just before Trump took the oath of office, Pence was sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.

After Trump’s swearing-in, he will give his inaugural address before attending an inaugural luncheon at the Capitol and later traveling on to the White House. 

Trump begins his time in office as the least popular president in at least 40 years, according to a recently released Washington Post-ABC News poll that found that just 40 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the Republican. That disapproval has seeped into the Capitol, with more than 50 members of Congress — most notably civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis — boycotting Trump’s inauguration and the accompanying events.

Asked about the boycott during a recent interview on Fox & Friends, Trump claimed he didn’t care. “That’s okay, because we need seats so badly,” he said. “I hope they give me their tickets.”

In addition to the boycott, multiple protests are planned for Trump’s inaugural weekend, with the largest expected to be the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday.

Source: People.com /yahoo.com

Nze Chidi Duru refutes malicious reports that he was arrested for Armed Robbery

Nze Chidi Duru

The founder and promoter of First Guarantee Pension Limited (FGPL), one of the Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) licensed under the Pension Reform Act of 2004, Nze Chidi Duru, has decried the sponsored story by persons of interest making the rounds that he was arrested for armed Robbery.
A statement released by the Nze Chidi Family, stated that  “The attention of the Duru family has been drawn to the false and malicious information currently circulating to the effect that our son and brother, Nze Chidi Duru was purportedly arrested for armed robbery.
We wish to state without equivocation that this accusation is an outright lie which was fabricated to tarnish his image.
It is the work of his detractors who are bent on forcefully seizing First Guarantee Pensions Limited, a company which Nze Chidi Duru founded.
This most recent trumped up accusation of armed robbery is the latest desperate effort by an errant regulator and their cohorts to undermine the enforcement of valid court judgement and specific directives of the Attorney General of the Federation.
We consider this development as an act of extreme provocation but remain confident in and faithful in our belief that darkness cannot triumph over light.
Our lawyers are already challenging this injustice and misuse of state power while continuing to seek redress through the appropriate institutions of the Nigerian State.

Source;Breaking Times

The British were once here by Eric Teniola

I was born in Idanre, a hilly ancient town in Ondo State but I have spent more years in Lagos than in any other city in the world.

Since the early sixties when I used to spend holidays with my cousin, Prof. Ayo Akinbobola (1942-2008) at 92 Ogunlana Drive (Bus Corner) in Surulere, Lagos along with another cousin of mine, Chief Babu Akinbobola, Lagos has always been my focus.

 No matter my sojourn in the country, be it in Eket, Calabar, Ogoja, Katsina, Bende, Akure, Owerri, Maiduguri, Sokoto and many other cities in the country including, of course, Abuja–that artificial city–I always love to come back to Lagos–a city that never sleeps.

In the past, Ikoyi was the best place to be in Lagos, hence my disappointment that the names of places we cherished in the past have been changed. A fact that can’t be erased is that we were once colonised by the British and Lagos was also once the capital of Nigeria. Another fact was that some streets in Lagos especially in Ikoyi were named by the British to remind us that they were once here.

Cameron Road was named after Sir Donald Charles Cameron (1872-1948). He was a British Colonial governor. In April 1925, Cameron became the second governor of the British mandate of Tanganyika, taking over from John Scott, who was acting governor for Sir Horace Byatt. From 1931 to 1935, he was governor and commander-in-chief of Nigeria.

Glover Road was named after Sir James Hawley Glover (1829-1885). He was a Captain in the British Royal Navy and later a colonial governor. On April 21 1863, he was appointed administrator of the Government of Lagos Colony,

Victoria Island in Lagos was named after Queen Victoria (1819-1901) who was the Queen of the United Kingdom and Ireland from June 20, 1837 until her death. From May 1, 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India.

Milverton Road in Ikoyi was named after Baron Milverton. Baron Milverton, of Lagos and of Clifton in the City of Bristol, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1947 for the colonial administrator, Sir Arthur Richards. He had previously served as Governor of Nigeria. As of 2010, the title is held by his eldest son, the second Baron, who succeeded in 1978.

Moloney Street in Lagos was named after Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney KCMG (1848-August 13,1913) who was a  British colonial administrator. He served as British administrator of the The Gambia from 1884 to 1886; Governor of Lagos Colony from 1886 to 1890; Governor of British Honduras from 1891 to 1897; Governor of the Federal Colony of the Windward Islands from 1897 to 1900; and Governor of Trinidad and Tobago from November 1900 to 1904.

Clifford Street in Lagos was named after Sir Hugh Charles Clifford (1866-1941) who was a British colonial administrator. In 1903, he left Malaysia to take the post of Colonial Secretary of Trinidad. Later, he was appointed Governor of the Gold Coast, 1912-1919; Nigeria, 1919-1925; and Ceylon, 1925-1927.

Eric Moore Street in Surulere, Lagos was named after Eric Olawolu Moore, a member of the colonial legislative council and the first Lagos member of the United Committee of Experts and adviser on Labour Conventions and Regulations. He was the father of Kofo Moore, the wife of Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, first Chief Justice of the Federation, who also established the New Era Secondary School in Surulere, Lagos.

Denton Street in Ikoyi was named after George Chadin Denton (1851-1928) who was the Colonial Secretary of Lagos in 1900.

Freeman Street was named after Sir Henry Stanhorp Freeman (1831-1865) who was the first Governor of Lagos (1862-1865). He took over from acting Governor William Mccorskty.

Alexander Avenue was named in honour of Cyril Wilson Alexander (1879-1947) who was Governor of the Southern Provinces of Nigeria between 1929 and1930.

Egerton Street was named in honour of Sir Walter Egerton (1858-1947) who was the first Governor of the colony of Southern Nigeria between 1906 and1912.

Osborne Street in Ikoyi was named after Jack Osborne who died on August 15, 2012 at the age of 103. He served with Chindits behind enemy lines in Burma, commanding Nigerian troops during World War Two. Lugard Street in Ikoyi was named after Sir Frederick John Dealtry Lugard (1858-1945), a former Governor General of Nigeria. Sir Lugard also named Port Harcourt in honour of Sir Lewis Vernon Harcourt (1863-1922) who was the British Secretary for the Colonies between 1910 and 1915. Lord Harcourt’s nickname was “Loulou”.

Macgregor Street in Ikoyi was named after Sir William Macgregor (1846-1919) who served as Governor of Lagos Colony Niger from 1899-1904 where he instituted a campaign against the prevalent malaria. Thompson Street in Ikoyi was named after Sir Graeme Thompson (1875-1933). He was appointed as Secretary for Ceylon in 1919, then Governor of British Guyana in 1922 and of Nigeria in 1925. Adeniyi Jones Street in Ikeja was named after Dr. Curtis Crispin Adeniyi-Jones (1876-1957), a Nigerian doctor and politician. His son, Femi, is at present a member of the Guild of Stewards at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos. Macpherson Street in Lagos was named after John Stewart Macpherson (1898-1971). He was a British Colonial administrator who served as Governor General of Nigeria from 1948-1955. He was responsible for the introduction of the 1951 Constitution, better known as the Macpherson Constitution, which provided for “semi-responsible government”. His ADC during his tenure was Gen. Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi (1924-1966) who later became the Head of State of Nigeria from January 1966 to July 1966.

Carter Bridge in Lagos was named after Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter (1848-1927). Carter was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Lagos on February 3, 1891.Carter ordered an attack on the Ijebus in 1892 and travelled to various parts of Yorubaland, accompanied by soldiers, in an attempt to demonstrate the might of the British. Initially, he was not well-received at Oyo, and the Egba chiefs advised him not to interfere with slavery, while the Ibadan chiefs said they were afraid that their slaves would “assert their freedom by running to the Resident” – and they refused to sign a treaty with Carter. However, in January 1893, the Egba chiefs signed a Treaty of Independence with the British Government. It was agreed that freedom of trade between the Egba nation and Lagos was to be guaranteed by the British Government, in return for which no road would be closed without the approval of the Governor. They further agreed that complete protection and “every assistance and encouragement” would be afforded to all Christian ministers”. The British agreed that “no annexation on any portion of Egba nation shall be made by her Majesty’s Government without the consent of the lawful authorities of the nation, no aggressive action shall be taken against the said nation and its independence shall be fully recognised.” He was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) on June 3, 1893, “in recognition of his services in conducting a mission to the Yoruba country which resulted in the negotiation of important treaties and brought to an end a long-standing war”.

Carter was given Ife works of art in 1896 by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adelekan Sijuade, in the hopes that a decision in his favour would be made about the resettlement of Modakeke residents outside Ife city. These works (including three known as the Ife marbles), were sent by Carter to Europe.

Governor Carter made a British expedition in Ijebu in 1892-1893 and forced the Ibadans and the Ekitis to sign a treaty. He trekked to Igbaji and Oke-Imesi where a treaty was signed between the Ibadan people and Ekitis. On September 4, 1894, Governor Carter signed a treaty with the Owa of Idanre, Oba Towurojoye Adegboye, Arubuefin I, during which Idanre was ceded to be part of the British territory. A copy of the treaty is still with the present Owa of Idanre, Oba Frederick Gbolagunte Adegunle Aroloye, Arubuefin IV. After his tenure in Nigeria, Carter was transferred to Barbados as governor and he built the Governors’ residence there in 1904. That house which is still the official residence of the Prime Minister of Barbados was designed by Lady Gilbert Carter, wife of former Governor Carter. The house was named by Governor Carter as Ilaro Court on Tweedside Road, St. Michael in Barbados. He named the house in remembrance of Ilaro which today is the headquarters of Yewa South, Ogun State. He died on January 18, 1927 in Ilaro Court.

The British did it their way when they were here and what they did is part of our history which we are still coping with today. In his book titled, “Character and Opinion”, George Santayana (1862-1952) wrote that “things have their days and beauties in that day. It would be preposterous to expect any civilisation to last forever”.

• Teniola, A Former Director At The Presidency, Resides In Lagos.
• Source:Punch Newspaper.

Blame nation’s woes on Murtala, Obasanjo –Asiodu

Chief Philip Asiodu

Former minister of Petroleum Resources and ‘Super’ permanent secretary,  Chief Philip Asiodu, yesterday, blamed late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed and former President Olusegun Obasanjo for setting the pace for the nation’s economic woes.
Speaking at the annual Daily Trust Dailogue, yesterday, Chief Asiodu regretted the military fiat with which the Murtala/ Obasanjo regime abandoned the 1975 Development Plan.
 He said this stifled Nigeria’s growth.
The 1975 Development Plan, according to him, was a product of feasibility studies in all sectors of the economy for the purpose of diversification.
“This was when Nigeria and the Asian Tigers were at par. Today, we know where the Asian Tigers are and where we are.”
Asiodu also described as a monumental tragedy, “the setting aside of the Vision 2010 document prepared by the best brains in the country when Obasanjo assumed power again in 1999.”
Chief Asiodu stated that an economy that is not diversified can not grow and the reason for the country’ backwards on all indices of development and attributed “the dismal performance of the economy on the discontinuity of the development plans which saw the laying of solid development witnessed the first decade of independence.”
At the beginning of the Second National Development Plan in 1962, the former petroleum resources minister noted that the country was growing at six percent, which he said was improving at the end of the plan period.
He advised the present government to “look inward in revamping the economy, particularly in areas where diversification has become inevitable, as proposed in the 1975 document.
“An economy not diversified can not grow. Government should be commended for looking into areas of diversification to grow the economy,” he added.

Source: The Sun Newspaper

El-Zakzaky in Custody for ‘Public Good’, his wife, keeping him Company – Presidency

Ibrahim El-Zakzaky

The Presidency has said that the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, cannot be released from detention because of public interest and security concerns, adding that El-Zakzaky”s wife is not in detention but merely keeping her husband”s company “in the apartment in which he is kept”.
The Presidency has said that the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, cannot be released from detention because of public interest and security concerns, adding that El-Zakzaky’s wife is not in detention but merely keeping her husband’s company “in the apartment in which he is kept”.
A top Presidency official who did not want to be named, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Thursday.
According to him, the issue of the release of El-Zakzaky is not exclusively legal as it has security and public interest as against individual interest undertone.
On the said detention of El-Zakzaky’s wife along side her husband, the official explained that the wife was not of any security interests and therefore was merely keeping her husband’s company “in the apartment in which he is kept.
“She is not under detention. If it is her wish, that of her husband or of the IMAN, she will allowed to go home in a matter of hours,” the official said.
He explained that El-Zakzaky’s wife was picked up by the Department of Security Services (DSS) beside her husband with bullet wounds following IMAN’s encounter with the army.
“They took her along with the husband, treated her wounds and allowed her to care for her husband. Upon his request on an occasion, the children joined them during Ramadan. That is what happened,” the official said.

Source: DailyTrust

'You should be the kind of person you intend to attract..'

Why Nigerian Peace Corps is collecting N40, 000 from unemployed youth — Commandant

The N40, 000 the Nigerian Peace Corps is taking from mostly unemployed youth who seek job placement in the organisation covers the running cost and provision of materials, its National Commandant said on Thursday.
Dickson Akor said during a press briefing in Abuja that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission had investigated the movement as far back as 2004 and cleared it of any wrongdoing.
“The ICPC has investigated us in 2004 and established that the money is going towards training materials and we’re not extorting money from the youth,” Mr. Akor said.
He added that the Peace Corps also pay instructors to train its members at its training facilities across the country.
“We have been holding workshops and training our members and we buy them training materials and also pay honorarium to their lecturers,” Mr. Akor said.
“We also pay our existing staff and not a single one of them is earning less than N40, 000 per month even though we’re not getting any support from the government right now.”
The comments came hours after the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives harmonised the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill to give the group, which had operated as a volunteer organisation for 18 years, government backing.
The bill is expected to be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
 Mr. Akor said the organisation would stop charging for services once the bill is signed into law.
“Immediately the president assents to this bill, nobody will pay a dime to be trained,” Mr. Akor said. “Nobody will pay any money for registration.”
Mr. Akor said the Peace Corps will create employment for the Nigerian youth to “promote the culture of peace” by providing community service and neighbourhood watch for nation building.
He said the services are currently not being rendered by the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps or any other existing security agencies.

Source: Premium Times

Senegalese troops enter Gambia to remove Jammeh

Senegalese Troops

Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia to force out the country’s defiant former President Yahya Jammeh.
The development came hours after Adama Barrow, a property developer who won the country’s presidential election in December, was sworn in at a Gambian embassy in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
Mr. Jammeh refused to quit despite calls from ECOWAS and the African Union for him to do so. The United Nations also supported calls for Mr. Jammeh to quit and backed Mr. Barrow’s presidency effective Thursday, January 19, 2017.
The recognition of Mr. Barrow as the president of The Gambia marked the end of Mr. Jammeh’s 22-year reign in the West African country.
He secured an emergency approval from the country’s parliament for his tenure to be extended for another 90 days, but the resolution was frowned upon by the international community.
Senegalese media quoted the country’s military chief as saying that their troops have entered The Gambia to take out Mr. Jammeh and install Mr. Barrow.
“The Senegalese soldiers entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon,” Abdou Ndiaye, the spokesman for the Senegalese Army was quoted by local media in Dakar as saying, according to the BBC.
The Nigerian military also confirmed on Thursday that its “armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia.”

“They have the capacity to strike,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told the French newswire, AFP.
Gambian military officials have reportedly said they will not resist any foreign incursion into the country to remove Mr. Jammeh, saying the impasse is a political matter that they will not intervene in.
Mr. Barrow had warned in his inauguration speech that anyone “found illegally holding arms will be considered as a rebel.”
Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia to force out the country’s defiant former President Yahya Jammeh.
The development came hours after Adama Barrow, a property developer who won the country’s presidential election in December, was sworn in at a Gambian embassy in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
Mr. Jammeh refused to quit despite calls from ECOWAS and the African Union for him to do so. The United Nations also supported calls for Mr. Jammeh to quit and backed Mr. Barrow’s presidency effective Thursday, January 19, 2017.
The recognition of Mr. Barrow as the president of The Gambia marked the end of Mr. Jammeh’s 22-year reign in the West African country.
He secured an emergency approval from the country’s parliament for his tenure to be extended for another 90 days, but the resolution was frowned upon by the international community.
Senegalese media quoted the country’s military chief as saying that their troops have entered The Gambia to take out Mr. Jammeh and install Mr. Barrow.
“The Senegalese soldiers entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon,” Abdou Ndiaye, the spokesman for the Senegalese Army was quoted by local media in Dakar as saying, according to the BBC.
The Nigerian military also confirmed on Thursday that its “armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia.”
“They have the capacity to strike,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told the French newswire,AFP.
 Gambian military officials have reportedly said they will not resist any foreign incursion into the country to remove Mr. Jammeh, saying the impasse is a political matter that they will not intervene in.
Mr. Barrow had warned in his inauguration speech that anyone “found illegally holding arms will be considered as a rebel.”

Source: Premium Times

Nigerian police raid local news website, reporters held

Raid and arrests come after army accusing Premium Times of 'publishing falsehood against its operations and chief'.

 Nigerian security forces on Thursday raided the office of a prominent local online news platform and arrested at least two of its journalists, said the platform.

Premium Times' publisher Dapo Olorunyomi was arrested along with Evelyn Okakwu, the website’s judiciary reporter. 

“Plain-clothed officers conducted search at our office shortly after 5 p.m. [1600GMT] Thursday, and said they were acting on a complaint filed by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai,” according to a statement published on its website. 

“The arrests came days after PREMIUM TIMES turned down the army’s demand to retract news stories about the Nigerian Army and its operations,” it added. 

The raid and the arrests came days after the army accused Premium Times of allegedly publishing falsehood against its operations and chief, threatening a lawsuit unless the online platform retracts some of its reports. The platform rejected the accusation, and said the army was trying to gag the media.

Amnesty International condemned the raid and the arrest in a short statement on Thursday.

“Nigerian security should ensure that they release Dapo Olorunyomi and Evelyn Okakwu or charge them to court immediately. We are calling on the authorities to ensure that the two journalists are granted access to their lawyers and families,” Amnesty International said in a statement on its tweeter handle.

Source:aa.com.tr

Naira defies liquidity boost, depreciates further against dollar

The Naira on Thursday remained indifferent to the sale of over $250 million to licensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operators nationwide as it suffered another loss against the dollar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Naira inched against the dollar at the early hours of Thursday morning by 2 points but could not sustain the gain as it shed 3 points to close at N498 to a dollar at the open market.
The Pound Sterling and the Euro traded at N596 and N520, respectively, at the open market.
At the BDC window, the Naira exchanged at N399 to a dollar, CBN controlled rate, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro closed at N599 and N522, respectively.
Trading at the interbank market saw the Naira weakening further as it closed at N305.50, from the N305.25 it recorded on Wednesday.
Traders at the market were hopeful that the Naira would bounce back as quickly as possible.
They, however, noted that the Naira was waging a guerilla-like war against speculators who manipulate the market for their selfish ends.


Source: NAN

Jammeh goes into hiding, as deputy quits

Yahya Jammeh

Apparently awed by likelihood of military action against his regime, Gambian maximum ruler, Yahya Jammeh may have gone underground as his whereabouts remain unknown.
This is even as Jammeh’s deputy, Isatou Njie Saidy has resigned his membership of the government.
Saidy, who had been in the role since 1997, is the highest level official to abandon Jammeh’s camp in his standoff with opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won the election.
Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Barrow, as refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.
 Barrow – who fled to Senegal earlier in the week – has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday.
The president-elect on Thursday tweeted that he would be holding the inauguration ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, the Senegalese capital.
Jammeh’s whereabouts were unknown on Thursday, hours after a last-minute failed attempt by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to convince him to give up the presidency.
Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana on Thursday remained in position in Senegal in case a military intervention becomes necessary.
Sidi Sanneh, the former Gambian foreign minister, told Al Jazeera: “There is a certain faction in the [Gambian] army, who decided that they will not fight a losing battle [against the intervening troops] … As far as we are concerned, we don’t expect much of a resistance from that end of the military establishment.”
He added: “However, there is another faction, the favourite of Jammeh, who enjoyed the fruits of the 22 years of dictatorship. We expect them to put up a fight. How much of a fight? That is still up in the air.”

Source: The Sun Newspaper

Akwa Ibom senator dumps PDP for APC

Senator Nelson Effiong

Senator Nelson Effiong representing Akwa Ibom South senatorial district, on Wednesday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Effiong, while quoting Order 43 at plenary, said his decision was to enable him pursue his political career.
He said: “I was elected into the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, but over the past one year, this great party has disintegrated. “As a result of the crisis in the party which appeared to be intractable, I have decided that no reasonable politician will allow his people to drift without direction. “So, I have today, the 19th day of January 2017 resigned from the PDP and move to the party that is bringing peace and direction to this country.”
In his reaction to the defection, Deputy Minority leader of the senate, Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha expressed concern at the consequences of Effiong’s defection to the APC.
“What he (Effiong) has said appears to be an insult to those of us who are in the PDP.
“If he wants to do the usual business in Nigerian politics or follow the weather, he should say it clearly.
“This business of moving here and there following the weather should be stated clearly and he should not deviate from the original intention,’’ he had.
Also speaking, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, noted that both the Constitution and the Supreme Court stipulated that it was not an individual that contest election.
“It is the political party. And therefore, the moment somebody takes the mandate of the political party it behoves on that political party to immediately take steps.
“We had rumours that this was going to happen; we engaged the senator in various discussions and we showed him the implication.
“We want the senate to note that the PDP in Akwa Ibom is on its way to court and we want to reclaim his mandate.
“We must reclaim the mandate given to us. We don’t mind him joining the APC, but he will not go with the mandate given to us in Akwa Ibom,” Akpabio said.

Source: The Guardian(Nigeria)

No plan to increase petrol price from N145 per litre, NNPC tells Nigerians

NNPC

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said that the federal government has no plan to increase the price of petrol from N145 per litre.
Ndu Ughumadu, the NNPC’s spokesperson, stated this Thursday while enjoining motorists to desist from engaging in panic buying of petroleum products.
The NNPC, according to Mr. Ughumadu, has 1.3 billion litres stock of PMS, otherwise called petrol, which is sufficient to serve the nation for more than 38 days.
The corporation said the plea followed reports that some motorists had begun panic buying of petrol, following rumours that the government was about to increase the pump price of the product from N145 per litre.
“Indeed, with the resumption of production by the Corporation’s three refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri, complemented by imports, there is enough stock of PMS, Automotive Gas
Oil (AGO), diesel and kerosene,” NNPC said.
Earlier, the corporation’s Chief Operating Officer of Refineries, Anibor Kragha, had assured that the refineries had resumed production.
While briefing the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream in a presentation on the current status of the refineries, Mr. Kragha had told the legislators that the nation’s three refineries produced additional volumes of 4.6 million litres of kerosene and 7.7 million litres of diesel, in addition to millions of litres of petrol being refined daily at the nation’s refineries. In its statement Thursday, the NNPC assured Nigerians that petroleum products would be available. It also reiterated that there was no plan to increase its price by the government. “NNPC wishes to assure Nigerians that there is no iota of truth in the rumour that government is scheduled to adjust pump price of petrol,” the statement said.

Source: Premium Times

APC To Hold National Convention April

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that its National Convention will hold not later than April 2017.
This was one of the outcomes of the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting chaired by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Recall that LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported last week that preparations were underway for the party to hold its national convention in the first quarter of this year.
 According to a statement signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the processes leading to the national convention will commence with the congresses to fill vacancies in the state party structures across the country.
The statement further said: “The vacancies to be filled occurred principally from political appointments, deaths and resignations. The congress to fill the vacancies would be followed closely by another congress to nominate delegates into the mid-term non-elective convention of the party.
 “The congresses will be followed by the National Caucus meeting, and finalised with the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, which will consider and set the dates for the National Convention, which is expected to hold not later than April of 2017.
This, the party said, is in accordance with its constitution which states that the party’s convention must be held once in two years.

Source: The Leadership Newspaper

‘Why Benin palace suspended Isekhure’

Chief Nosakhare Isekhure

All is not well in the palace as the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) has suspended the Isekhure of the kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, over alleged dereliction of duties.
At a press conference addressed by the Iyase (Prime Minister) of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, the BTC also alleged that he has turned his residence into a mini-palace where he held court, and even review cases already decided by the Oba and his chiefs.
But when contacted by The Guardian, Isekhure declined comment. But a source close to his family said they would react when they are communicated as he said the Isekhure cannot be suspended through the media. He also said that no chief can summon the Isekhure except the Oba of Benin.
 Isekhure is the Chief Priest of Benin. The palace is now saying that the original responsibilities of the Chief Priest were carried out by the Ihama of Benin Kingdom who is the head of Ihogbe Palace Society that to which the Isekhure belongs. It stated that during the reign of Oba Ewedo in the12th Century, the Ihama then due to old age could no longer walk from his quarters to the palace to perform his functions and requested the Oba to empower one of his sons to perform the duties until the “present Isekhure decided for reasons best known to him to desecrate it.”
Igbe, accompanied by other top chiefs including the Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edebiri, said the Isekhure allegedly desecrated the duties of the title without regard for the palace.
He went on: “Of course, gratifications were there offered or forced and collected. He used his position to influence new chiefs celebrating their investiture to perform certain rites in his residence, during which monies, kalolanuts and drinks were collected. Senior chiefs were at times openly bad-mouthed and vilified by him, and during those times, he declared that the chiefs were not senior to him and that he would not pay respects to them again as palace cultures demand. He turned himself into a be all and end all, and a seeming authority in the Benin culture and tradition, especially palace procedures. He even pronounced himself the Head of the Royal family.”
A statement jointly signed by Igbe, Edebiri, Osuma of Benin, Chief Norense Ozigbo-Esere, Esere of Benin, Chief Stanley Obamwonyi, Eguezigbon of Benin, Chief Osemwota Obamwonyi, Oliha of Benin Chief Edionwe Oliha, Eson of Benin, Chief Amos Osunbor, Eribo of Benin, Chief E, Oviasogie, Ine of Benin, Chief E. U. Uzamere and Secretary of BTC, Frank Irabor said Ishekhure did not play his roles during the mourning of the former monarch and the coronation ceremonies of Oba Ewuare II and that when he was invited by the Iyase of Benin to sort out the issues he refused.
They added: “The Council of Chiefs then also sent for him, yet he refused to answer them.“During the Emwinekhue (obsequies), he neglected and deliberately refused to perform his traditional duties before, during and after the event, and has since remained infinitely unrepentant.
“We recommend in the circumstances, therefore, that he be suspended; and with the authority of Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, he is, with effect from today, 17th of January, 2017, suspended indefinitely from performing the duties of the Isekhure title which he now bears. Those duties were originally performed by the Ihama of Benin. They will now revert to the Ihama N’Ihogbe.”

Source: The Guardian(Nigeria)